[Peace-discuss] Fw: [cchcc-l] Let's regulate insurance premium rates in IL! Please volunteer!

[Jenifer Cartwright]

Fyi...

--- On Wed, 10/13/10, Allison Jones <allison at healthcareconsumers.org> wrote:Dear Friends,

Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC) is asking you to volunteer
for a special event to help us build support for new laws in Illinois that
would require the State to regulate health insurance companies' premium rate
increases.

Please read below for more information about insurance rate increases and
how you can help.

HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUM RATES IN ILLINOIS:

* Did you know that the state of Illinois has NO power to regulate health
insurance premiums and premium rate increases?
* Did you know that Illinois is one of the few states in our nation to have
overwhelmingly for-profit health insurance plans (as opposed to non-profit)?
* Did you know that Illinois has received more applications for the new
high-risk pool of insurance coverage than any other state?

It is no wonder that Illinois residents and employers find it increasingly
difficult to afford health insurance premiums!

HEALTH REFORM AND STATE LAWS GOVERNING PREMIUM RATE INCREASES:

Despite the many new health insurance benefits, regulations and consumer
protections now in effect as a result of the national health reform law,
Illinois remains behind many states in providing consumers with a
fundamental protection: the protection from unchecked insurance premium rate
increases.

Why? Well, national health reform did NOT include premium rate regulation,
and instead, relies on states to take on that responsibility.

And many states do, but not Illinois. In Illinois, health insurance
companies can raise their premium rates by any amount, for any reason,
without any interference from regulations and regulators.


SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO ADVOCATE FOR REGULATING INSURANCE RATES:

Now is the perfect time to act to make health insurance premium rate
regulation a reality in Illinois! Both IL Governor Pat Quinn and IL
Department of Insurance Director Michael McRaith want the Illinois state
legislature to pass laws to allow the Department of Insurance to regulate
insurance premium rates!

Please join with Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC) to build
support for premium rate regulation in Illinois. We need to reach thousands
of down-state residents to educate them about the need and this opportunity
and get them to sign-on to our efforts to show popular support for this
legislation!


HOW YOU CAN HELP - VOLUNTEER FOR A SPECIAL PHONE-A-THON:

You can help build this movement by volunteering for the 2010 CCHCC
Phone-A-Thon which is focused on building support for insurance premium rate
regulation!

The Phone-A-Thon (PAT) is one of CCHCC's most important events of the year.
The PAT allows us to reach out and talk to over 4,000 of our members, get
them involved to take action, and raise funds needed to continue working for
health care justice. This year we are dedicating our Phone-a-thon to asking
our members to take action on the issue of regulating health insurance
premium increases in the sate of Illinois.

The Phone-a-thon is a great way to make a big impact and help a lot of
people to take action on an important issue, but we can't reach everyone
without the help of our volunteers. Volunteer for one or more nights of the
2010 Phone-a-thon! Details about our calling nights are below.


HOW WILL THE PHONE-A-THON HELP US WIN HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUM RATE
REGULATION?

We will be calling thousands of people, talking to each person, and asking
them to add their names to a sign-on letter that CCHCC will deliver to
Governor Quinn, the Director of the Department of Insurance, Governor
Quinn's Health Reform Implementation Council, and our legislators, calling
for health insurance premium rate regulation. Our efforts will coordinate
with those of other organizations throughout the state, and that is how we
will build support to push the state legislature to pass a law that will
require Illinois to regulate health insurance premium rates.


PHONE-A-THON INFORMATION:

WHAT:    CCHCC Phone-A-Thon

WHEN: Monday, October 18; Tuesday, October 19; Thursday, October 21; 
Monday,October 25; Tuesday, October 26; and Wednesday, October 27

TIME: 5:00 - 8:30 p.m. each evening

WHERE: CCHCC Office - 44 East Main Street, suite 208, in downtown Champaign.

**We need at least 10 volunteers to staff the phones each night. We provide
training and free food!

RSVP:    Call CCHCC at (217) 352-6533 or email cchcc at healthcareconsumers.org
and let us know you'd like to participate. You can also RSVP on our website:

http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Display%20Page&id=797

Thank you for your support!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Champaign County Health Care Consumers
44 E. Main Street  Suite 208
Champaign, IL 61820

Phone: (217) 352-6533
Fax:   (217) 352-9745
E-mail: cchcc at healthcareconsumers.org
Web:    www.healthcareconsumers.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Support health care justice - donate to CCHCC today! Visit our website to make a tax-deductible contribution today.
http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Donation
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